Fellow Atari computer fans, our prayers have been answered: a mini console is finally on the way. Retro Games Ltd. and Atari have unveiled The400 Mini, an emulated Atari 8-bit system in a tiny form factor that's the spitting image of the X-wing-Starfighter-like 400 after being hit with a shrinking beam.
For those of you unfamiliar with it, the Atari 400 and 800 were launched in 1979 as the company's first attempt at a home computer that just happened to double as an incredible game system. That's because, in addition to a faster variant of the excellent 8-bit MOS 6502 CPU found in the Apple II and Commodore PET, they also included Atari's dedicated ANTIC, GTIA, and POKEY coprocessors for graphics and sound, making the Atari 400 and 800 the first true gaming PCs.
The membrane-keyboard-equipped Atari 400 didn't have all the top features—you needed the 800 for more memory and a typewriter-style keyboard, among other things. But the 400 had the same architecture and became many people's first foray into computer gaming and programming. And even though I had and preferred the 800, I still think the 400 is one of the best-looking computers ever made.
The400 Mini emulates the entire Atari 8-bit range, from the 400/800 through the 5200 SuperSystem, the XL, and the XE, as the platform's architecture remained almost exactly the same throughout its 13 years on the market. The400 Mini comes with 25 games preloaded and can accept more via USB stick. The system presents a carousel menu to select what games to play, just like the company's prior TheC64 Mini (for the Commodore 64) and TheA500 Mini (for the Commodore Amiga 500). It also comes with TheCXStick, a replica of the classic Atari joystick with "an additional seven seamlessly integrated function buttons" that aren't visible in the image.
Between the video and the company ad copy, we can see The400 Mini will come with Bruce Lee, Berzerk, M.U.L.E., Star Raiders II (formerly The Last Starfighter, for those of you who first played the game from less-than-scrupulous sources), Millipede, and Miner 2049er, among others. The console also features pause, four save slots, and even 30-second rewind, which of course is sacrilege for hardcore gamers but I'll allow it. It outputs 720p via HDMI at either 60 or 50fps (NTSC/PAL) and has a whopping five USB ports, implying that it supports four-controller play with games like M.U.L.E. You can also customize the framing around the game with one of 12 choices, RetroArch-style.
The system includes the controller, an HDMI cable, a USB cable for power (but no AC adapter, like the two Commodore consoles, and a Quick Start manual. It's launching in the UK on March 28. No word yet on pricing or a US release date, but you can bet it'll come here like the others did. If it's as good as the other Retro Games systems, The400Mini will count as another feather in the cap for Atari Interactive's resurgence following its excellent Atari50 compilation, reissued Atari 2600+ console, and acquisitions of key properties including Digital Eclipse, MobyGames, and AtariAge.
Yes, of course, you can run Altirra, Atari800MacX, RetroPie, buy a MiSTer for lower latency or to hook up a CRT, collect original and impressively reliable Atari hardware, or do countless other things to play the same games. But these mini consoles are still tons of fun for jumping right into a game on a big screen and are supremely collectible. Now, all we need is a full-size "The400" version with a working keyboard, just like TheC64.
